A hernia is a condition in which part of the intestine bulges through a weak area in muscles of the abdomen. An inguinal hernia, the most common of which are the “indirect” and the “direct” inguinal hernia, occurs in the groin area between the abdomen and thigh. In an inguinal hernia the intestines push through a weak spot in the inguinal canal, which is an opening between layers of abdominal muscle near the groin. Obesity, pregnancy, heavy lifting, and straining to pass stool can cause the intestine to push against the inguinal canal. As also recognized herein, other repeated minor trauma to the wall from, e.g., coughing and the like can create the weakness that develops into a hernia.
The main treatment for inguinal hernia is surgery to block the protrusion of abdominal content through the muscle wall. This surgery is called herniorrhaphy, and typically involves suturing the muscle layers and fascia together to reinforce the wall or blocking the defect with a flat polypropylene mesh, and in some procedures used with a static polypropylene plug which rests in the opening without exerting any pressure on the surrounding tissue. As understood herein, this procedure can lead to complications including pain, swelling, bleeding, as well as recurrence.
As critically recognized herein, the inguinal canal is no mere static tube, but rather an active muscular sphincter the mode of failure of which is muscle fibrosis stemming from prolonged inflammation from years of impact with surrounding tissue during, e.g., coughing. Indeed, the present invention recognizes that the mode of failure in many muscular walls in the body such as that of the muscle wall of the groin (whose failure can lead to so-called “direct” hernias), the septum of the heart, etc. is the fibrotic alteration of the muscle's structure. With these critical recognitions in mind, the invention herein is provided.